Abstract
It is common knowledge that for most organisms and for most stimulus modalities, almost any intense signal can elicit the rapid sequence of skeletal reactions that collectively constitute the overt startle reflex. Not so well known is the fact that with these same organisms and these same signals, almost any other stimulus can, if presented at an appropriate interval prior to the startle-eliciting stimulus, either prevent the elicited reflex or, at least in mammals, insure that it will occur with reduced amplitude. Since this effect occurs the very first time that the lead stimulus is presented, it is clear that it is not an example of classical conditioning or any other form of learning for that matter. In order to convey the idea that this effect entails a change in an elicited reaction, it has been described by the term, reflex modification.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Brown, J. S., Kalish, H. I., and Farber, I. S., 1951, Conditioned fear as revealed by magnitude of startle response to an auditory stimulus, J. Exp. Psycho!. 43: 317–378.
Brownlee, K. A., Hodges, J. L., and Rosenblatt, 1953, The up—down method with small samples, J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 48: 262–277.
Dixon, W. J., and Mood, A. M., 1948, A method for obtaining and analyzing sensitivity data, J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 43: 109–126.
Fletcher, L. D., and Young, J. S., 1983, Discrimination of auditory from nonauditory toxicity by reflex modulation audiometry: Effects of triethyltin, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 70: 216–227.
Graham, F. K., Putnam, L. E., and Leavitt, L. A., 1975, Lead stimulation effects on human cardiac orienting and blink reflexes, J. Exp. Psycho! Hum. Percept. Perform. 1: 161–169
Hilgard, E. R., 1933, Reinforcement and inhibition of eyelid reflexes, J. Gen. Psycho!. 8: 85–111.
Hoffman, H. S., and Fleshier, M., 1963, Startle reaction: Modification by background acoustic stimulation, Science 141: 928–930.
Hoffman, H. S., and Ison, J. R., 1980, Reflex modification in the domain of startle: I. Some empirical findings and their implications for how the nervous system processes sensory input, Psycho!. Rev. 87: 175–189.
Hoffman, H. S., and Searle, J. L., 1968, Acoustic and temporal factors in the evocation of startle, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 43: 269–282.
Hoffman, H. S., and Wible, B., 1970, Role of weak signals in acoustic startle, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 47: 489–497.
Hoffman, H. S., Fleshier, M., and Abplanalp, P. L., 1964, The startle reaction to electrical shock in the rat, J. Comp. Physiol. Psycho!. 59: 53–58.
Kelly, J. B., and Masterton, B., 1977, Auditory sensitivity of the albino rat, J. Comp. Physiol. Psycho!. 91: 930–936.
Kimmel, C. B., Patterson, J., and Kimmel, R. 0., 1974, The development and behavioral characteristics of the startle response in the zebrafish, Dev. Psychobiol. 7: 47–60.
Landis, C., and Hunt, W. A., 1939, The Startle Pattern, Farrar and Rinehart, Inc., New York.
Peake, H., 1936, Inhibition as a function of stimulus intensity, Psycho!. Monogr. 47 (2, Whole No. 212): 135–147.
Prossen, C. A., Peterson, M., Moody, D., and Stebbins, W., 1978, Auditory thresholds and kanamycin-induced hearing loss in the guinea pig assessed by a positive reinforcement procedure, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 63: 559–566.
Reiter, L. A., and Ison, J. R., 1977, Inhibition of the human eyeblink reflex: An examination of the Wendt-Yerkes method for threshold detection, J. Exp. Psycho!. Hum. Percept. Perform. 3: 325–336.
Sechenov, I. M., 1965, Reflexes of the Brain (S. Belsky, trans.), M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Originally published St. Petersburg, Sushchinski, 1863.).
Schwartz, G. M., Hoffman, H. S., Stitt, C. L., and Marsh, R. R., 1976, Modification of the rat’s acoustic startle responses by antecedent visual stimulation, J. Exp. Psycho!. 2: 28–37.
Stitt, C. L., Hoffman, H. S., Marsh, R. R., and Boskoff, K. J., 1974, Modification of the rat’s startle reaction by an antecedent change in the acoustic environment, J. Comp. Physiol. Psycho!. 86: 826–836.
Stitt, C. L., Hoffman, H. S., Marsh, R. R., and Schwartz, G. M., 1976, Modification of the pigeon’s visual startle reaction by the sensory environment, J. Comp. Physiol. Psycho!. 90: 601–619.
Yerkes, R. M., 1905, The sense of hearing in frogs, J. Comp. Neurol. Psycho!. 15: 279–304.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1984 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hoffman, H.S. (1984). Methodological Factors in the Behavioral Analysis of Startle. In: Eaton, R.C. (eds) Neural Mechanisms of Startle Behavior. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2286-1_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2286-1_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-2288-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-2286-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive